“Hey, she’s dedicated to her job,” Niall whispered, elbowing Max in the side. “You have to admire and respect that.”
Max sighed. “She doesn’t need the bloody job, Niall.”
“Okay, you and I know that... well, pretty much everyone except Grace knows that, but you can’t rush her. And this is good for Kenna. She needs the help.”
“Kenna can go jump—”
“Max,” Niall warned. “Bloody hell, brother. When are you going to let it go?”
Max scowled. “I don’t know, Nye. Maybe when our sister comes back to life.”
Niall swore. “I’m not having this argument with you again. You’re too hard on Kenna.”
Max shrugged and focused back on Grace.
The captain announced take off and everyone stowed their electronics and buckled up. Max caught Grace’s eye as they taxied down the runway and gave her a bolstering smile. She appeared nervous, if the whiteness of her knuckles as she gripped the arms of her chair were any indication. He guessed private planes fell into the category of confined spaces.
“You okay?” he mouthed.
She nodded as she pressed her lips into a thin line. He should be sitting with her to calm her. He should have swallowed his pride, but he didn’t and right now, she looked like she was going to be sick.
“Damn it,” he snapped, and unbuckled his seatbelt.
Niall frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Grace needs me.” Max jumped up and rushed to the chair next to her, sitting and buckling in record time. He pried one of her hands from the armrest and linked her fingers with his.
“What are you doing?” Grace asked, her body relaxing at his touch.
“You looked about ready to vomit, love,” Max explained. “I couldn’t watch it.”
“Because it’s all about you.” She tried to pull her hand away. “Max, this is really unprofessional.”
He gripped her hand harder. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
“Well, yeah.” She frowned. “I’m here to do a job.”
“The guys know my feelings toward you, Grace.”
She gasped. “That makes it worse.”
Max shrugged. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Grace. This is happening, in public and in private. No one gives a shite about professional or otherwise.”
Grace shook her head and closed her eyes, but didn’t try to pull away again. Max ran his thumb over her knuckles and didn’t release her hand until the plane was at altitude and leveled out. Once the captain turned off the seatbelt sign, Max rose to his feet. “Kenna, I’ll return Grace shortly.”
“Where am I going?” Grace asked.
He held out his hand. “You and I are going to talk for a minute.”
Grace sighed as she unbuckled and stood, ignoring his outstretched hand. “One minute.” She turned to Kenna with a grimace. “Sorry.”
“No worries, lass. We’ve got plenty of time,” Kenna said.
Grace nodded and faced Max. “Where to?”
He laid his hand on her back and ushered her down a private hallway to one of the seven doors at the back of the plane. It opened onto a large bedroom with a queen-sized bed and private bathroom. It was beautiful.
Max closed the door and crossed his arms. “I want to make something clear.”
Grace mimicked his stance. “Okay.”
“Our relationship and your job are not mutually exclusive, Grace. However, this”—he pointed to her and then himself—“will happen with or without the job. Everyone on this plane knows that.”
“What do you mean by ‘everyone on this plane’ knows?”
Max smiled without mirth. “They are on this journey with me to find you.”
“Of course they are.” She groaned and sat on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands.
Max knelt in front of her and pulled her hands from her face. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I don’t want you to say anything you don’t mean, Max, but I do need you to understand that there has to be some separation of church and state. I can’t lose myself in you.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Okay, I won’t lose myself in you. I need a chance to make a go of this job, because right now I’m feeling like I should just quit and go home and see you when I see you.” She cupped his face. “I love the idea of getting to know you...the real you, not the rock star you, but I also have to be a person outside of us. Does that make sense?”
“It makes sense, love, but it seems unnecessary.”
“Have you ever been told you can’t do something, or at the very least, not had a disgusting amount of money?”
“What do you mean?”
Grace sighed. “I have been raised by wonderful parents who are firmly planted in the middle-class category, and although I may not have wanted for much, I have always known that I had to have a career and a way to make a life for myself outside of them. They weren’t going to pay my way outside of college...they didn’t even pay my way through college...and now they’ve given me the generous option of being able to live at home while I get my feet back on the ground. I take my independence seriously. I don’t like being almost twenty-five and having to crawl home to Mom and Dad. It’s humiliating—”
“I will take care of you, love,” he interrupted.
“I don’t want you to take care of me.” She stood and paced. “This is my point. I want to do this on my own.”
“And my point is that you don’t have to.”
Grace let out a frustrated squeak.
Max rubbed his forehead. “That was obviously the wrong answer.”
She took a deep breath. Then another. “Look. I know that most women don’t want men to fix whatever ails them, but I’m not one of those women. I like that you have a desire to take care of me...but only up to a point, Max. I barely know you, and the fact that you want to swoop in and shower me with money and security actually freaks me out. More than a little bit. I have a father. A very protective one, and I really don’t need or want another.”
Max studied her for several tense moments. She wasn’t acting at all like a mate should act. She was supposed to fall at his feet. She was supposed to know that they were destined to be together, and act accordingly. But she was also beautiful and smart and he was stupid in love with her, and as she stood her ground with him, something others didn’t have the courage to do, all he could think about was taking her home and binding her. To hell with the fact it was too soon.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you understand where I’m coming from? At all?”
Max sighed. “Aye, lass I do. I don’t like it, but I do understand.”
“So, will you let me do my job?”
“Jury’s still out on that,” he grumbled.
“Max!” she admonished.
“You can do your job, lass.” He smiled. “But I want you all to myself tonight. I want to have a private dinner with you and maybe a movie in my room...or yours...but no work. Just us.”
“As long as that works with Kenna’s schedule, then I would love to spend time alone with you...no work.”
Max closed the distance between them and ran his knuckles down her cheek. “You know I’m ridiculously in love with you already, right? I hate being separated from you. Even for a minute.”
“I’m getting that message, Max. But don’t you think it’s a little fast?”
He shrugged. “Not for me.”
She dropped her head onto his chest. “You are such a paradox.”
Max lifted her chin. “How so?”
“I guess because you’re a notorious man-whore and I don’t know how exactly I’ll live up to the multitudes of glamorous women you’ve slept with. But then you hold my hand, or kiss me, and all those worries fly out the window, and I feel as though you would never betray me, but that’s naïve, right? That’s just me wishing to be enough for you.”
Max shook his head. “No. It’s a
ll accurate. You are enough for me. More than enough. If I could erase my past, I would. But since I can’t, I just have to work that much harder to make you understand how I feel. Some days it’s easier than others. Today’s been a bit of a bitch.”
Grace chuckled. “You are a pain in the butt, Max, but, Lord above, I can’t resist you sometimes.”
He raised an eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Sometimes?”
She slid her hands into his hair. “Yes, I have an easier time being logical when you’re not in front of me.”
“Well, then we just need to make sure I’m always in front of you.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that one, buddy.”
He smiled. “I should let you get back to Kenna.”
“Yes, you really should. Will you sit with us, or are you going to go all high school on me and sit as far away from Kenna as possible?”
“Since I can’t seem to stay away from you, I would very much like to sit with you. I will endeavor to keep my negative opinions to myself.”
Grace kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
* * *
Arriving at the hotel in Anchorage, Grace was swamped with excitement. The rest of the flight had gone without incident and she’d been able to focus on her job. She had always wanted to visit Alaska, but never really had a reason...or the money to. She was in the black Towncar with Max and Kenna, and the other band members and crew followed in several large SUVs.
“Grace, you and I will get the room keys while the guys wait in the cars,” Kenna said.
Grace nodded. “Sounds good.”
Bruce pulled up to the back of the hotel, parked the car, and then opened the door for the ladies to exit. Max moved to follow, but Grace put a hand on his knee and gave him a gentle squeeze. She didn’t want him looking over her shoulder. He took the hint and sat back while Grace followed Kenna.
As they entered the hotel, Grace was taken with the charm of the nautical-themed building. Kenna had informed her that everyone in the band was booked under assumed names, and this trip’s theme was Peter Pan. Appropriate for the hotel décor.
They were led to a private office to meet the manager of the hotel, and they sat in the seats facing his desk to wait.
Kenna pulled out her iPad and brought up the list of band and crew, ready to assign names to rooms.
A short, portly man whisked into the room and smiled. “Miss McFadden, welcome.”
“Mr. Garrison,” she said, shaking his hand. “Thank you so much for accommodating us. I know this is a busy weekend for you.”
“It is, but we’re always willing to help when we can,” he said.
Especially when the guests are world-famous and the money has no limit, Grace thought.
“This is Grace Wilson,” Kenna said. “She’s my right-hand woman, and will be assisting with room assignments and the show.”
Mr. Garrison shook Grace’s hand then took his seat behind the desk. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Grace said, and smiled.
“As you know, we have a couple of conventions going on in Anchorage this week, and many people are staying through the weekend.” He smiled. “I have a feeling they’ll be attending the concert.”
Kenna chuckled. “That’s what we like to hear.”
“Unfortunately, it leaves us and many of the other hotels with a lack of accommodations, but this is what we’ve come up with. I’ll print the list now.” Mr. Garrison checked his screen and typed something out on his keyboard. He reached under his desk and pulled out two sheets of paper, handing them to Kenna. “As you can see, your band will have suites, and the crew will have regular rooms, as you requested. However, we’re three rooms short. How will they feel about doubling up?”
Kenna studied the lists. “Obviously, Max...sorry, Captain Hook, won’t share, unless he’s willing to take the two-bedroom and bunk with Peter Pan.”
Grace giggled. The names seemed a little too accurate for the brothers.
“Then you and I could bunk together in the one-bedroom suite, if you don’t mind, Grace. That would open up two more rooms.”
Grace shook her head. “I don’t mind at all.”
Kenna nodded. “I think we’ll be able to make this work, Mr. Garrison. For a hefty discount.”
His face went a little red, but then he nodded and said, “I’ve taken the liberty of coding all the keycards. The room numbers are written on the outside. The suites are indicated in red.” He handed Kenna the envelope with the keys. “I have a few of my hotel staff ready to assist with luggage. Do you need storage for anything?”
Kenna shook her head. “No, the truck will deliver the gear to the venue in the morning.”
Mr. Garrison rose to his feet. “Excellent. If you’ll follow me, we’ll get everyone settled.”
The made their way back to the cars. The band and most of the crew stood outside the vehicles, some on their phones, some talking, and a few who’d stepped away to grab a smoke.
Max caught Grace’s eye and smiled. She loved the way his face lit up when he saw her, regardless of how long they’d been separated. Kenna motioned the band over and they huddled in a group to talk.
“We’re short three rooms,” Kenna explained.
“Why?” Max asked, a scowl on his face.
Grace gave his arm a gentle warning squeeze and then focused back on Kenna.
“Remember how I said there were several conventions going on right now?” Kenna asked. “We were lucky to get what we got.” Kenna gave Max a pointed stare and waited for him to nod his understanding. “This is my suggestion. Max, if you and Nye can take your two-bedroom suite, then Grace and I can take Niall’s one-bedroom suite. There’s a pull-out that one of us can sleep on.”
“Ollie and I can bunk together,” Henry said. “My family’s not coming this trip.”
“Kind of cramps my style, brother,” Ollie retorted.
“Why? Planning on having an orgy?”
Ollie laughed. “Fine, but you’re taking the couch.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Henry shrugged. “You’re horrible to spoon with anyway.”
Kenna nodded. “Right. That gives us three extra rooms. Perfect.”
“I have a different idea,” Max said. “Grace can stay with me. She’ll have a separate bedroom, of course, and Niall can stay where he is...as can you, Kenna. Josh and Tom can bunk together. Ollie and Henry are bunking together. There you go. Problem solved.”
“I can’t stay with you,” Grace said.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Excuse us,” she said, and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the group. “Max,” she whispered. “It would be really inappropriate if I stayed in your room. You’re my boss.”
“So?” Max retorted.
Grace rolled her eyes.
He smiled. “Look. It’s a big suite, love. Two bedrooms. It would mean you and I can have some uninterrupted time to get to know each other. All above board. I will stay in my own bed. I promise I’ll fully respect your privacy. Plus, it means Kenna can have her own room.”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “You’re doing this to be nice to Kenna?”
“Would it help sway you?”
She crossed her arms. “Actually, yes, it probably would.”
“Please, Grace. I promise I will be the consummate gentleman.”
She sighed. “How can I resist?”
He grinned. “Thank you.”
They made their way back to the band and once the new arrangements were approved and organized, Grace and Kenna handed out room keys, and the rest of the group headed to their rooms.
Before Kenna stepped off the elevator, she faced Grace. “We have nothing on the agenda until ten tomorrow, so relax and try not to kill our lead singer, okay?”
Grace nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Max,” Kenna said, with less warmth.
“Kenna,” he responded with much the same tone.
Kenna stepped
out of the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed, Max wrapped his arm around Grace’s waist. “Finally alone.”
“Yes.” Grace smiled. “So, how are you going to woo me today, Max the man, not the rock star?”
“Oh, you want me to woo you, do you?”
“I’d like to give you the chance to try.”
He kissed her nose. “Well then, I think I’ll surprise you.”
“I don’t need Paris,” she said. “Just so you know.”
Max chuckled. “When I give you Paris, sweetheart, it will be the real one, and no one will interrupt us.”
Grace bit her lip. The thought of him and Paris was almost enough to forget her upbringing. Oh, how easy it would be to just fall into his arms and forget about common sense. She allowed him to pull her close, the music of the elevator echoing in the small space.
Max chuckled. “Well, that’s one interpretation, I guess.”
Grace glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”
He pointed to the speaker in the ceiling. “It’s a Fallen Crown song.”
“Really?”
“Aye.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize it.”
He kissed her temple. “I’ll forgive you as soon as you catch up on our library.”
“But only the last forty years, right?” she retorted.
Max laughed. “You’re not interested in anything prior to the seventies?”
“I feel as though if I answer this, it won’t go well for me.”
“Good answer.”
THE ELEVATOR PINGED and the doors opened to their floor. Max guided Grace to their room and opened the door, stepping back so she could precede him inside.
Grace hummed in appreciation as she stepped into the room. The furnishings were rich in luxurious reds and golds, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a great view of the Cook Inlet. She found the bedroom with her luggage already inside, and smiled when she saw it was the one with the best view. She joined Max in the living room.
“This place is gorgeous,” she said.
“Yes, it’s surprisingly nice. I was informed it’s the best room in the hotel.”
“Are you the reason we have the nicest one?”
Bound by Song (Cauld Ane Series, #4) Page 11